Are the Cardinals on the Verge of Becoming One of NFL's Elite Teams?

Bruce Arians' 3-0 Arizona Cardinals have shown that they have an offense that can win whether Carson Palmer or Drew Stanton is under center and a defense that can shut out opponents when it matters most. That kind of balance has led them to an undefeated start to the season and the lead in one of, if not the, NFL's toughest divisions. 

After finishing 10-6 in their first year in Arians' system and showing their mettle against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1 and division rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, the Cardinals are proving that they can match up against anyone in the league. 

With Carson Palmer injured for the second week in a row, Drew Stanton once again rose to the task of leading this weapon-filled Cardinals offense to a win, finding rookie John Brown twice in the end zone and ending his day with 244 yards and no interceptions. 

He was on the verge of leading Arizona to a possible game-clinching score midway through the fourth quarter when San Francisco linebacker Michael Wilhoite stripped Larry Fitzgerald of the football after a completion at the 49ers' 5-yard line. But San Francisco was unable to capitalize on that turnover, and that is what this Arizona defense has been doing as well as any team in the league this season: stopping opponents from taking advantage of opportunities, especially late in games.

Both the Cardinals offense and defense have been elite in the fourth quarter in 2014. Arizona has outscored opponents 30-0 in the final period.

Give credit to Arians. When he came to Arizona in 2013, he brought with him a new offensive system that's heavy on combination routes, dramatically altering Larry Fitzgerald's role and making Michael Floyd the new outside threat.

Heading into Sunday night's game, Floyd was second in the league in yards per reception (23.0) and will remain there by the conclusion of Week 3, since he averaged 22.8 yards per reception against San Francisco. His speed and reliable hands have made him nearly impossible for defenders to cover and a go-to weapon for Arizona's quarterbacks. 

Brown, selected in the third round in May, is part of Arians' plan for life after Fitzgerald and has become a reliable scoring threat. He has three touchdowns on just nine receptions this season.

Fitzgerald, meanwhile, becomes a threat all over the field as a Z receiver, drawing coverage off Floyd and seeing more action come his way. 

The offense has also taken care of the football. Both Palmer and Stanton have yet to throw a pick, and though Palmer fumbled the ball in Week 1, Stanton has still yet to turnover the football. 

The Cardinals are tied for the league's sixth-best turnover differential. 

Arizona's passing attack has been set up by the run game, led by Andre Ellington. His 18 carries for 68 yards put him among a handful of backs with over 200 yards for the season, and after the Week 4 bye, any lingering issues from Ellington's foot injury will hopefully be resolved. Expect the young back to make an even bigger impact when Arizona resumes its schedule.

The Cardinals' success on the ground was part of a balanced offensive game plan that also made sure Floyd, Fitzgerald and Brown found favorable matchups against the 49ers secondary. 

That balance is part of what has helped Stanton step up and be successful in Palmer's absence. 

Consider this: When the Cardinals went 10-6 in 2013, the first time the team had at least 10 wins since 2009, the transition to Arians' offense was slow. Pass-catchers were, for a time, unsure of their routes, while Fitzgerald had to learn three receiver positions. Despite those obstacles, the team still had its best finish in four years. 

"It was difficult," Fitzgerald told Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. "I'm glad that's in the past and we're into a new year, into a new season. The young guys now can ask us (veterans) what we're doing and we are able to get them going. Last year, everyone was in that same learning stage."

This year, it's obvious that things are clicking—and not just offensively.

After losing Darnell Dockett and John Abraham to injury, Daryl Washington to a year-long suspension and Karlos Dansby to free agency, the defense had a tall order to start the season.

Gone were their top five tacklers from 2013, but their replacements, like Calais Campbell, are stepping up.

Campbell briefly left the game Sunday after getting banged up, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. The defense needs him; his nine tackles heading into Sunday's game leads all NFL defensive ends, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he had four more against San Francisco. 

He and Rashad Johnson lead the team in sacks. 

Arizona's run defense, in particular, has been stout, holding opponents to just 215 rushing yards over three games. It was No. 3 in the league heading into Sunday's game, allowing an average of just 2.0 yards per attempt.

San Francisco could hardly get anything going with Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde sharing the load in the backfield; together they had just 23 yards. Colin Kaepernick was the team's leading rusher against the stingy Arizona front, with 54 yards on 13 runs. 

As with any team, the Cardinals aren't without their flaws. A mess in recent seasons, Arizona's offensive line is still improving—Stanton was sacked four times by the Giants and Palmer, twice by San Diego. But it didn't allow a single sack to the 49ers pass rush, and that's marked progress. 

They've has been slow to get things going in the first half; while Sunday's come-from-behind win proved that Arians' halftime adjustments are reliable, it would have been ideal to see them end the first half in better position. 

	1st Half Pts Scored	1st Half Pts Allowed	2nd Half Pts Scored	2nd Half Pts Allowed
Week 1	6	3	12	14
Week 2	10	7	15	7
Week 3	6	14	17	0

But the defense holding the 49ers to no points in the second half just might mean that side of the ball is good enough to make up for any deficits in which the offense may find itself.

The Cardinals aren't celebrating their undefeated start just yet, and they're smart not to. The memory of Ken Whisenhunt's squad starting off 2012 with a 4-0 record only to have the season come off the rails and finish 5-11 is still fresh.

But after knocking off San Francisco, Arizona's upcoming slate of games certainly looks winnable enough to maintain the division lead.

Rather than kill momentum, a Week 4 bye is an opportunity for injuries to heal. Coming off the bye to face Denver in Week 5 is no gimme, but Arizona can take advantage of matchups against flailing Washington, winless Oakland and inconsistent teams like Dallas and St. Louis.

Arians has shown through three games that even without a consistent starting quarterback and with a defense ravaged by injuries, the coaching and the preparation are there for the Cardinals. Add their emerging talents like Floyd and Brown to that mix, and this team could legitimately contend for the NFC West title.